Gut-brain links in food allergy responses
Official title: Gut-brain contributions to food allergy responses
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11551492 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research grant is exploring how signals between the gut and brain drive dangerous reactions to foods, with the goal of helping people with food allergies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $874,228 |
| NIH project number | 1R56AI194235-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11551492 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with diagnosed food allergies who might benefit from future therapies based on gut-brain mechanisms.
✕Less likely to help
People without food allergies or those who do not experience gut-brain–related symptoms from allergens may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses a mouse model to map the gut-brain communication that leads to allergy symptoms like diarrhea, avoidance behavior, and potential anaphylaxis. Researchers will test how allergens in different parts of the gut activate brain pathways, especially neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius, which helps coordinate bodily responses. The work aims to identify specific gut-to-brain pathways that trigger allergic reactions, with results that could point to new ways to treat or prevent severe food allergies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could inform new strategies to prevent or reduce severe reactions to foods by targeting gut-brain signaling.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary mouse studies have shown gut-brain signals contribute to allergy symptoms, suggesting this approach is promising though still early.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dietrich, Marcelo — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Dietrich, Marcelo
Related research
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New Horizons in Food Allergy Prevention and Treatment
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Environment and early-life exposures shaping food allergy in children
This grant looks at how a child’s first year and their home environment may influence whether they develop food allergies, focusing on indoor exposures and microbes.
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Longitudinal metabolomics in infants with food allergies
A study in infants aims to understand how gut metabolites relate to the development of food allergies, including IgE-mediated and non-IgE cases.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.